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Many people in this world are fixated on their external beauty. Women can spend hours at a beauty salon or in front of a mirror beautifying their hair with curls, straightening, perms, braided ribbons, meticulous cornrows, etc. Some men are very concerned with their hair as well and will go so far as to shave words into their hair. If people do not have much hair or are not pleased with their hair they will wear wigs or toupees.

Women will also spend hours in front of a mirror putting on all sorts of makeup to beautify their facial features. Even women who I would consider beautiful without makeup will still put on makeup to look more beautiful or to cover up what they view as the unattractive parts of their appearance.

Then there is the clothing factor. In order to fully accentuate their beauty, just the right kind of clothing must be worn. The wrong color may detract from one’s beauty. The wrong skirt or dress length may not fully reveal the beauty of their legs. Just the right accessories (scarves, jewelry, belts, etc.) will certainly, in their mind, enhance their beauty. Men can be just as meticulous in their clothing selection as women.

Of course, one’s beauty is only temporary as we all know and as the Bible teaches.

. . . and their beauty shall consume in the grave . . . Psalm 49:14

Death befalls us all and our beauty will fade away as our body turns to dust.

Death is not the only thing that can destroy one’s beauty. Car accidents, sickness, diseases, self mutilation, and a host of other physical traumas can mar one’s appearance.

Inner beauty

However, there is a beauty that cannot fade away or be destroyed. It is the inward beauty of a meek and gentle spirit; one that fears Yahweh; one that walks in the beauty of holiness; one that submits to the authority that Yahweh has placed over them.

Likewise, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of [Elohim] of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in [Elohim], adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands. 1 Peter 3:1-5

We read the following concerning the results of Israel’s sins against Yahweh.

How has Adonai covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not His footstool in the day of His anger! Lamentations 2:1

Israel was beautiful in Yahweh’s sight as long as they kept His covenant and obeyed His laws. After their grievous sins against Him and His chastening hand upon them, they lost their beauty.

We also see this in Psalm 39:11:

When you with rebukes corrects man for iniquity, you make his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity.

While Yahweh’s correction and chastening upon us because of our sins consumes our beauty, all His chastening is for our good in that it restores us to a right relationship with Him and places us once again on the path of obedience.

One’s outward beauty is no guarantee that life will go well for us as can be seen in the life of King David’s son Absalom.

But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 2 Samuel 14:25

Although Absalom was physically beautiful he allowed sin to enter in by having his brother Amnon killed for raping his sister Tamar. Absalom also tried to usurp the throne of his father David and committed adultery with his father’s concubines.

Ironically, Absalom’s beautiful head was his downfall.

And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. 2 Samuel 18:9

How does one develop and inner spiritual beauty?

Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

This does not only apply to women, but a man who fears Yahweh is beautiful in Yahweh’s sight as well.

For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation. Psalm 149:4

Meekness is a character trait of the Savior of the world, Yeshua.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29

In order to be beautified with salvation, one must believe in the Master Yeshua.

For [Elohim] so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For [Elohim] sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17

After a person receives Yeshua as his/her Master and Savior they must begin walking in holiness. That is, to live a life of purity and detachment from the world and all its lusts.

O worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Master: Hebrews 12:14

If you belong to Yeshua, you belong to a greater body of people known as the church (those believers that were called out of the darkness of this world into the glorious light of truth through Messiah Yeshua).

Husbands, love your wives, even as Messiah also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25- 27

This is only possible through the cleansing blood of Yeshua. His shed blood on the cross continually washes away our sins when we confess them to Yahweh.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Man can only look upon the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks upon the heart. What does He see when He looks at your heart? Does He see the blood of His Son Yeshua upon you cleansing your sins and making you clean or does He see a person whose focus in life is upon outward beauty?

May you begin to develop a beauty that will not fade away or be consumed by age or death. May you begin to develop the inward beauty of a meek and gentle spirit that fears Yahweh and keeps His commandments and faith in his Son.